Hola all! Steve here - I'm in Mexico for a week, and this time it's vacation, not business, so I can really focus on the World Cup! Olé Olé Olé! Great effort by the USA. Let's look forward to Russia in 2018!
OK, fan-fest over. let's focus on Tracy's puzzle for today. I think it's her LAT debut, but a rummage around the interwebs will reveal she's been concentrating on "themeless" offerings for the Washington Post and the NYT. She might rethink her focus. This theme I loved. It's a challenge sometimes to come up with a title in the blog for such a great idea, and I'm sure I'm a country mile away from the best offering. So let's move on to the expo instead. Here we have first-name nicknames applied to an occupation, all of which produce .... umm .. things in themselves. Yep, I can't even elegantly describe such an elegant idea! So let's get into the details ...
21A. Apt username for John, the labor organizer? : UNION JACK. The British flag, and John, who became Jack. All my explanations for the evolution of the nicknames are credited. They're certainly not mine! John = Jack
One of the most famous bearers of this name, John F. Kennedy, was known to friends and family as "Jack." But I wonder if he knew how much history that name had? John is a name with history stretching back far into Biblical times. However, during medieval times, the name John was altered slightly in the Germanic tongues to Jankin or Jackin. Out of that, we get the nickname Jack.
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| OK, July 4th is coming .. I'm slipping this one in early |
41A. Apt username for Catherine, the handywoman? : DO-IT-YOURSELF KIT
I've just realized that if I reposted and credited every researcher cited for each nickname you'd have a blog longer than any other. I encourage you all to Google and enjoy the wordplay. Catherine = Kit
56A. Apt username for Margaret, the geometry teacher? : SQUARE PEG. What about an octagonal hole? Dang! Margaret = Peg
4D. Apt username for Dorothy, the Oktoberfest accordionist? : POLKA DOT. "We're not in Kansas anymore!" Toto! We're in Munich! Oh My! Dorothy = Dot
43D. Apt username for William, the rural worker? : FARM BILL Why did I think of apples on heads? William = Bill
So the theme was split between acrosses and downs, and five entries and no asterisks means that there's not a lot of leeway for the fill. No asterisks means no regular entry longer than a theme one. The fill had some sparkles and few, if any, clunkers. Bravo!
Here's Asterix the Gaul to celebrate France's win on Monday in the World Cup and to teach us all how to pronounce and spell "Asterisk".
1. Sprang : LEAPT. Would you ever use "sprang" over "leapt"? Style guide experts, please help ...
6. "Black __": 2010 Natalie Portman film : SWAN. Nothing to see here, move along.
10. Inseam unit : INCH. I've got 32 of 'em. One of the reasons I don't play basketball (the other big reason is a complete lack of talent for the game).
14. Yoke attachment : OXBOW.
15. Tuscan river : ARNO
16. Writer Ephron : NORA
17. Authoritative reference book : BIBLE. Because "OED" or "Roget's Thesaurus" are either lacking or wildly excessive in the letter count department.
18. Protestant denom. : METH.
19. Don't have to guess : KNOW
20. Gambler's fund : STAKE. I love the proximity to 23A but to me, a gambler's fund is a stash, or a bankroll. The stake is part of the stash.
23. Gambler's payment : ANTE
25. Misery : WOE
26. Fez bearer : HEAD. Great, wanted "Richie's Dad in Happy Days."
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| Mr. Cunningham didn't fit |
The biggest one you can see from Chamonix is called Mont Blanc. The biggest one you can't see is Alpe D'Huez.
32. ESPN data : STATS. Underpinnings of the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network. Thank goodness for ESPN - it was United States 101 when I first moved here. I can parrot those statistics until you all fall asleep. (Anyone awake?)
36. Equanimity : APLOMB. Word of the Day. I always show this when I go through the security checkpoint.
38. "Orinoco Flow" singer : ENYA. Funnily enough, I was debating recently whether "New Age" music is old enough to make the tag a misnomer. No issue with this clue.
40. Gun lobby gp. : NRA
44. False front : ACT
45. Goofball : DORK
46. Aquanaut's station : SEALAB. I wanted all kinds of stuff here - "Stingray", "20.000 Leagues under the Sea" but ahhh well. Here's the amazing Troy Tempest and Princess Maaaaarrrrrinnnnnaaaaa
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| Sealab? That's too deep. We are mere puppets. |
47. "God helps __ ..." : THOSE ... who help themselves? Great, let me go nuts in the buffet line.
49. Rhône city : LYON. If you want to find out how I woke up in a tent in the middle of a roundabout on the outskirts of Lyon on a Thursday morning, let me know. I'll be happy to tell y'all. It ended well.
51. Fall back (on) : RELY
52. La Brea muck : TAR
54. Ian of "The Hobbit" : HOLM. It's hard to know how you'll be remembered as an actor. Personally, I prefer his role as the "professional" athletic coach in "Chariots of Fire". Now, he's a halfling. Oh well,
61. Honolulu-born president : OBAMA. He really was. 'nuff said.
65. Reunion guest : AUNT
66. Gucci of fashion : ALDO
67. Watchful attention : VIGIL
68. Windy day toy : KITE
69. "Superman" woman : LOIS
70. Escape cleverly : ELUDE
71. Preppy shirt brand : IZOD, That makes me "preppy" - who'd a thunk it?
72. Legend : MYTH
73. Done in : SLAIN. I'm almost "done in" with 73 clue/answers! Girding my loins and off to the downs:
Down:
1. Alternatives to passing shots, in tennis : LOBS. Timely reference to "The Championships, Wimbledon". Note the "d", not a "t". Now you know how to pronounce Wimb-el-Don". Thank you.
2. Walk out : EXIT
3. Agnetha, Benny, Björn, and Anni-Frid, collectively : ABBA. Fresh clue to an old favorite. Lovely.
5. Many a middle schooler : TWEEN
6. With 28-Down, justice since 2006 : SAMUEL
7. Birdhouse warbler : WREN
8. Con : ANTI
9. In any way : NO HOW
10. Canon product : INK-JET. I wanted cameras ... this one look a little while.
11. Actress Gaye of "Ali" : NONA. Crosses all the way. I'll pay attention next time ...
12. Swamp beastie : CROC. I'm not convinced that crocodiles hang around in swamps. Gators, for sure.
13. Peddle : HAWK
22. Old cash register key : NO SALE
24. It's off-limits : TABOO
26. Really dug into : HAD AT
27. Prominent period : EPOCH
28. See 6-Down : ALITO
30. Chipper : PERKY
31. Type widths : ENS. Why do I always put in "ELS" and then go back and change it?
33. Bracelet spot : ANKLE. Funny that the reason for having to wear one is imediately below.
34. Courtroom event : TRIAL
35. Didn't do anything : SAT BY
37. Last thing Rhett called Scarlett : MY DEAR. Rhett's under-his-breath "last thing" might not have been so printable.
39. Kind of question : YES/NO
42. Clickable link : URL. A Uniform Resource Locator on the World Wide Web, as well all know so well.
48. Made explicit : STATED
50. "Gee whillikers!" : OH GOSH!
53. Royal domain : REALM
55. Treasures : LOVES
56. Munro pen name : SAKI
57. One may be popped in class : QUIZ
58. Passé preposition : UNTO
59. Tricky maneuver : PLOY
60. Make less explicit, perhaps? : EDIT
62. Madrid water : AGUA
63. Skirt length : MIDI Fill in M__I and wait for the N, D or X.
64. Chrysler Building architect William Van __ : ALEN. I posted a great view of this iconic building one Wednesday that I blogged from NYC in January. I might have to dig the picture out again.
That's about it. No food! and no music links that I can see. HG and Marti can fill in my blanks! I'm wallowing in the land of tequila, huaraches and futbol! I'll be checking in from the pool.
Steve.
Oh - here's the grid!
